hotchkiss



(No Model.) V 2 Sheets Sheet 1. B. B. HOTGHKISS.

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Patented Oct. 31, 1882.

z I I I I I I I I Inve 1-0607;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. B. B. HOTOHKISS.

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.Z revert/07 NirnD STATES BENJAMIN B. HOTGHKISS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 266,694, dated October31, 1882,

Application filed March 4, 1882.

(No model.)

To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. HOTCH- KISS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the cityof New York, county of New York,

projectiles which are provided with a butt-fuse for igniting the charge.In constructing such shells when made from steel or similar hard metalit has heretofore been common to bore out the interior so as to form acavity having two differing diameters, the inner portion or chamber,designed to receive the charge for exploding the shell, being made aslarge as the shell practically admits of, while the outer portion, atthe rear of the shell, is made of greatly reduced size, or thatsuflicient to receive the fuse. The cavity is formed in this manner inorder to reduce as far as possible the surface area of the plug used forclosing the same, so that the liability of its being blown out by theexplosion of the charge before the shell bursts is reduced to itsminimum, which blowing out, should it take place, would allow the escapeof gases to such an extent as to reduce their pressure, and thus preventthe bursting of the shell, or at least greatly reduce the destructiveeffects of its bursting. As will be readily understood, considerabledifficulty is experienced in boring a cavity with such varying diametersin a solid shot made of steel or similar hard metal, while the processis necessarily slow and expensive, and it is the object oftheseimprovements to avoid this difficult operation and construction, tolessen the expense attending the production of this class ofprojectiles, and at the same time to overcome the liability ofdisplacing the fuse during the bursting of the shell.

To these ends the invention consists in a shell having a chamber ofabout uniform large bore, or one not contracted rearward, and providedwith a closing-plug or fuse-receiver so con structed that the pressureof the gases at the time of the explosion shall act laterally upon thereceiver, thereby insuring its resistance to displacement, and whereby areceiver of a size equal to the large bore of the shell can be usedwithout danger of being blown out of position before the bursting of theshell.

The invention also includes thecombiuation, with such a shell andreceiver, of a suitable fuse.

In the drawings illustrating practical embodiments of theinvention,Figure 1 represents a. longitudinal section of a hollow explosiveprojectile or shell provided with a fuse-receiver ofimprovedconstruction. Fig.2isalikeview showing a fuse-receiver embodying myimprovement,and also showing the fuse in position. Fig. 3 is a like viewshowing a fuse-receiver embodying the invention and having a modifiedform of i"useseat; and Fig. etis a likeview showingafuse-receiver stillfurther modified in the structure of its seat.

The shell 1 may be made of steel or other suitable metal, and in someinstances may be cast into hollow form in lieu of boring or fitting. Itis of the ordinary construction, except that the cavity 2, which is tocontain the burstingcharge, instead of being formed with two varyingdiameters, as hereinbefore explained, has its largest diameter continuedrearward to the base of the shell. This makes the opening through therear of the shell as large in size as any part of the cavity, and hence,when it is formed by boring out the solid metal, that operation isgreatly facilitated and the cost of production materially lessened. Thisenlarged opening will of course present an area transversely equal tothat of the charge'chamber, which must be closed by a fusereceiverhaving a construction capacitating it to resist the pressure exertedupon it at the time of the explosion of the charge within the shell. Toaccomplish this the opening through the rear 01 butt of the shell isclosed by a 1" use-receiver, 3, in the form of a screw-plug, which isrecessed to provide inwardly-extending walls, inclined or tapered so asto form a comparatively thin annular projection, 4, against which thegases will impinge with lateral pressure. From this construction of thefuse-receiver 3 it results that the'force of the explosion, which tendsto drive the receiver from its seat, is at the same time exertedlaterally against the thin projection, and thus forces and holds it withsuch power against the threaded walls of the shell as not only toprevent the starting of the receiver, but to most securely hold itrigidly in place. In its simplest form this fuse-receiver will have itsouter wall extended to form one thin projection, 4, it being understoodthat when the small threaded opening through it, which forms a seat fora fuse, is filled by a fuse, the lateral pressure of the gases willoperate to secure said fuse-receiver in place, as explained, and alsothat as the force which tends to drive the fuse-receiver 3 rearwardincreases the force exerted against its thin projection 41, tending tohold the receiver in place, will be proportionately increased, while theexposed surface of the fuse will be relatively so small as to preventits displacement.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the fuse-receiver 3 is shown as provided with a tappedhole, that forms the seat to receive the fuse 5, which in these casesmay be inserted from the rear, either before or after the receiver isscrewed into the shell.

In order to reduce the liability of the fuse from being displaced by theexplosion of the charge in the shell, it is shown in FM. 2 as surroundedby a housing consisting ot'a second thin annular projection, 6,extending inwardly from the receiver, upon which the gases act in thesame manner as that already explained in connection with projection 4,its purpose being to enable the gas-pressure to more securely hold thefuse 5 in place, instead of tending to displace it.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the receiver is shown as solid and provided interiorlywith the fuseseat. As shown, the annular projection 6 is made to extendinwardly to a much greater extent than it does in Fig. 2, and thisfuseholding projection or seat is also utilized to take the place of theouter case of the fuse. In Figs. 2 and 3 this projection is further moremade integral with the fuse-receiver 3, while in the structure of Fig. 4it is made separate and screwed into the fuse-receiver. In theconstructions Figs. 3 and 4 the fuse must of course be placed inposition before the receiver is inserted into the shell.

hile the structures shown in Figs. 3 and 4t embody the presentimprovements, they are only embraced'herein as broadly claimed.

The following is claimed as new:

1. In a hollow explosive projectile or shell, a base closure consistingof a fuse-receiver having a fuse-seat and an iim'ardly-extendingcomparatively thin annular projection, as 4, that forms a rearwardcontinuation of the charge-chamber, substantially as described.

2. In a hollow explosive projectile or shell, a base closure consistingof a fuse-receiver having twoin ward ly-extending annular projections,one forming a fuse-housing and the other a rearward continuation of thewalls of the charge-chamber, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

B. B. I-IUTOHKISS.

Witnesses:

B0131. M. HooPEn, DAVID T. S. FULLER.

